Nature DX 8x42 Roof Prism Binoculars

These have turned out to be my favorite pair of binoculars. The view is really nice, they fit very well into my hands, the focus is buttery smooth, and they seem really well made. I was on the search for the best 8x42 I could find in my price range for bird watching and nature viewing, and in the process I've tried quite a few different brands/models. I did tons of research, reading every review, test, and recommendation I could find. My budget was up to $400, but I still tried more expensive binoculars just to have a good basis for comparison. The above-budget binoculars I tried were Vortex Viper, Vortex Razor, and Zeiss Conquest HD. Again, those were just for comparison and "benchmarking". These were tried in a store only, but it was a large store with many bright and also shadowed areas... plus lots of "stuffed" wildlife mounted high on the walls (deer, etc.). The following binoculars were compared outdoors, I had each pair of these for one to two weeks, so I had time to do very thorough comparisons in many different lighting situations. Included were: Vanguard Spirit ED, Olympus Magellan EXWP I, Carson HD, Celestron TrailSeeker, and Atlas Intrepid ED. I also had/have some other sizes for comparison... Sightron Blue Sky II, 8x32 Alpen Apex 8x32, Alpen Shasta Ridge 10x42, Atlas Intrepid ED 7x36, and Kenko UltraView 10x42. I have used many other pairs of binoculars for my other hobby, stargazing. Many of you already know that stargazing is very demanding on binoculars in terms of brightness, edge distortion, and resolution. I only mention this to show a bit more of my background, as some binoculars that are great for astronomy aren't the best for daytime... and vice-versa. These 8x42's were going to be strictly daytime use for me, so only casual testing at night was performed to get a better idea of resolution, brightness, and edge performance. Ok, one of the BIG things I learned from all of this is that YOU have to try any prospective binoculars yourself. Just because an expert reviewer says a certain pair are fantastic doesn't mean they'll be fantastic for you. Everyone's eyes, face shape (which can affect required eye relief), priorities, etc. are different. The other big thing, for me anyways, is that resolution is king. It doesn't matter how great the edge performance is, or how bright the binocular is, or how much depth of field there is if what you're viewing won't come into sharp focus. I thought my Olympus Magellans were sharp and was totally happy with them, but after experiencing a bit more sharpness I can hardly stand using them. Those are considered really nice binoculars, especially in their "day". Now, saying that, the Celestron Nature DX were not the sharpest binoculars I tested when performing strictly resolution testing (using fine print, barcodes, etc. at close and far distances). They were very close compared to the sharpest of the group, though, and I doubt most people would notice any difference. However, in real usage, they're as sharp as any of the others and I couldn't notice a difference at all. To cut to the chase, the Nature DX's were the only binoculars that really made me smile every time I used them. My eyes just seemed to effortlessly relax into the image. I would take several binoculars into the field at the same time, viewing everything from birds to pinecones, to clouds, to airplanes, to people. Each time, when I looked through the Nature DX's, I found myself actually enjoying the image, instead of just focusing on how well it looked from an analytical perspective. Every other binocular I spent the whole time adjusting focus and diopter settings, trying to get that little bit more of "great" view. Then I'd try the Nature DX's again... and again I'd sink into the image, being amazed by that Acorn Woodpecker and actually intently watching what he was doing, forgetting that I was testing all these different binoculars. THAT is what a great pair of binoculars for YOU will do... you'll feel like you're actually there, instead of just viewing from afar. Solely scientific testing won't determine the best for you. Like I mentioned, at first I wanted a bit more resolution, but found that in real world use they had just as much resolution as any of the others, even the ED models. They do everything very well, it just all comes together with these. Plus you can't beat the price. I was happily willing to spend the full $400 of my budget if I needed to, and to be quite honest if these were $400 I would've paid it, I absolutely love them. To top it off, they're very compact and lightweight, about the size of most other 8x32's. I'd buy another pair in a heartbeat if mine were ever lost. Just for your info, I'm really happy with my Alpen Shasta Ridge 10x42. Fantastic resolution, great feel, and a great price (got them on sale for $99). Close runner ups for me after all this testing were the Atlas Intrepid ED 8x42 (very nice view and resolution, just a tad too long for me, plus I've found out I like the top hinge vs. the Atlas' open hinge design), the Atlas Intrepid ED 7x36, and the Celestron TrailSeeker (which are very close to the Nature DX... a tad bit sharper, but my eyes didn't sink into the image as much as they did with the Nature DX). So, out of all of the ones I tested, the Nature DX 8x42 and the Alpen 10x42 are the ones I kept... not because of their lower prices, but because they were the ones that I really enjoyed using. I hope this helps some of you!

The first part of the review is for the 8x42 binoculars which are terrific. Scroll down to read my experience with the 8x32 smaller brother. The optical performance these binoculars (8x42) provide is incredible for the price. I tried some others costing more, but so far none work as well with my eyeglasses (correcting for distance and astigmatism). Everyone's face and (if applicable) glasses are different, so your mileage my vary, but for me the optical performance of these (8x42) binoculars is wonderful. You might be tempted to point out that with the diopter adjustment one might just use the binoculars without glasses but, from my experience, that wouldn't be an optimum solution. Your glasses are probably correcting a number of your eyes' visual defects beyond just focus. When you use your glasses with the binoculars, all the defects are corrected and the resulting image is much clearer. To get this happy result, the binoculars must have sufficient eye relief and a set of adjustable eye cups. Wearing your glasses when birding also helps you find the birds in the first place. I have used these binoculars for about 12 months, including a daily average of about one hour of walking per day. I use a binocular harness to make wearing them more comfortable and I don't find them to be a burden when carried that way. I did have a problem in that several of the small internal screws that attach each eye cup have (over 8 months of careful use) backed out and fallen out, allowing both eye cups to become detached from the binoculars and allowing the screws (which are smaller than a short pencil lead) to fall out. The binoculars can't be used without the eye cups, but I found I could tape the eye cups back on with black masking tape. That worked fine in the lowered "eyeglasses" position, but since I really love the binoculars, I was disappointed in the way they looked with masking tape wrapped around both eye cups and anyway that solution wouldn't work for someone using the eye cups in the extended position. I ended up calling Celestron Customer Service and they issued a return authorization and an address in Torrance, California, where I could send the binoculars. So far so good. These Celestron's binoculars have a "Limited Lifetime Warranty" which covers "defects" but not "normal wear and tear" and to their credit they promptly sent me a new pair. They are just as optically excellent as the prior pair and I haven't had any problem with the eye cups, although I keep them taped down to reduce movement and avoid the previous problem. By the way, I noticed that a few other Amazon customers have reported eye cup screws falling out, so I think this may be more than an isolated quality issue. I bought two more pairs of Nature DX 8x42 binoculars for family members and I expect those users to be just as pleased. 8x32 Nature DX. Encouraged by the performance of the larger 8x42's, I ordered a pair of Nature DX 8x32's. After much side-by-side comparison I have concluded that the performance of my particular 8x32's is not up to the standard of the three pairs of 8x42 I have purchased and personally examined. The eye relief specs are the same, but my subjective conclusion is that I find myself pushing the 8x32's into my glasses trying to get a little more eye relief. I also notice that the dark rings that are see around the edges of the optics are fuzzy rather than sharp. I believe this is also due to slightly less eye relief. I would have expected the main advantage of the 8x42's to be optical performance in low light, but the 8x32's are noticeably less bright, even at midday. Finally, the 8x32's are just not that much smaller and lighter, so it isn't worth it to me to give up the optical performance of the 8x42's. Check out my photos for a size comparison.

I got these a year ago when I started getting into birding. I did a lot of research and they seemed to be the best quality for my budget. I had only ever used crappy binoculars and was absolutely blown away by the difference. It actually took a little while for me to get used to the clarity, they weirdly made me a little nauseous at first but I got used to it fast. They use baK-4 prisms which are the highest quality porro prisms and are usually found only in higher end binoculars. The image is crystal clear with a great field of view as well as incredible light transmission and vibrancy of colors. I used someone’s much more expensive Nikon Monarchs the other day and was shocked to see how much better the light and color are with mine in lower light settings - which is great for birding given dusk and dawn are the best times to go. They’re also lightweight with a sleek design and feel very nice in your hand. I highly recommend these. Also this is a fantastic price. The only issue I’ve experienced is one of the eyepieces fell off a couple days ago which is an issue I’ve heard of- it screwed back on and is fine but no longer adjustable without falling off again. Given I’ve had them a year and that’s my absolute only issue I’d say they are well worth the price.

If anyone is out there that has not bought a pair of binoculars in many years, this will hopefully help. We are going on an Alaska cruise soon, and we live in Hawaii. We thought it was time for a nice pair of binoculars to see whales in both places. It took many hours of research and reading reviews, but we are really happy with our choice. Great feel in your hands, easy focus, sturdy and well made. Just a little shake, but not much. Couple of things that I wasn’t aware of, (before reading the instructions), was the way the eye cup turns up and is for putting your eyes on to view. While in the down position, it’s for viewing without your eyes on the cups. Otherwise your eyes would touch the lenses. I also thought the rain guard was broken on the loop, because it looked cut. With further reading, it supposed to be like that. Next, I searched high and low for a video or something to show how the neck strap is to be put on. Nothing in the reviews that was easy to understand, and not even a video on Celestron’s, that’s why only 4-stars. I finally found a video on YouTube that was perfect. Even though it was from 12 years ago, it was great. It even showed how you loop the rain guard through the strap. Thank you Cley. So if anyone is having problems as I was, hopefully this review will help you. Here is the video on YouTube. Cley Spy’s guide to putting on a binocular strap

TL:DR - 8x42 NatureDX. Some eyeglasses wearers can use without glasses on(!). Loved & fit 80yr old to 9yr old. Weight = two 12oz cans. Fast adjustments. Great optics. Excellent value. Daughter, with glasses off, rates them 10 out of 10 (Adjust them for “wow”). Paid $115. Awesome. My parents are in their 80’s and their ~1972 Tasco/Kmart 7x35 binoculars they used finally gave out. So I researched binoculars that were a similar weight as those (or less preferably) that they could use for backyard animal watching. These seemed perfect and for $115, I felt were a very fair price. I had these shipped to my parents and they absolutely raved about them. The image quality is light years ahead of what they had before and the weight is just right. They were so impressed I order a pair for my family of five the next week. We love them too. I love high end optics but only had a cheap pair of house binoculars for my own family (ie if the kids break them I don’t care). But that pair drives me nuts because the quality is just terrible. So I was very interested in getting a better pair. Wow. These do not disappoint. These are much better than I would expect for $115. They comfortably, and quickly, adjust from my smallest kids (9yrs) eyes to mine. Our old kinky binoculars the kids had always mentioned about black spots appearing, it had to do with the difficulty in easily adjusting the settings. My 9yr old was the first to dial in the Nature DX 8x42. He was looking out the back window at birds commenting “Nature is cool”. So I pulled out the binoculars and suggest getting them setup for him. So I had him: * Turned out eyecups * Adjusted for pupil distance * Covered right lens * Focused using left eye * Covered left lens * Adjusted right eye piece diopter * Removed left lens cover He then: * Literally exclaimed “Wow!! Dad this Is awesome”. When my daughter set them up I suggested she could try them without eyeglasses on (which she always has to wear). It took a little to get the pupil distance set but after she did she dialed in the focus, then the diopter. When she was done and took the right eye cup off and looked through them and was silent for a few seconds. I thought there must be something wrong and asked. She never took her eyes from them and just whispered: “This is incredible!” Then more excitedly “It is so sharp it almost hurts my eyes”. “Dad if you are still writing that review please say I give this a 10 out of 10”. My experience with using them with a very strong prescription for eye glasses. When I dialed them in for myself they were great. But I have a strong prescription (20/400) compounded by permanent double vision. So I decided to try to see just how far these binoculars could be pushed. I took off my thick glasses and turned out the eyecups. I closed my right eye and adjusted the focus. By turning it fully counter clockwise I was on the cusp of things being in focus. I closed my left eye and adjust the right diopter. I was genuinely surprised, actually shocked, that I was able able to get quite a sharp image. Combined with the comfort of not having to wear glasses while looking through the binoculars and the relative sharpness I can see myself using these binoculars like this. Just for the joy of being able to use something without glasses. The *very slight* trade off in edge to edge sharpness (no default of the optics, that is 100% my eyes) is nothing compared to the relief of not having to wear glasses looking through something. My opinion is that if you have a light to medium prescription you should be able to easily & quickly dial these in to use without your glasses. But even if you choose to wear glasses while using them, the image is fantastic. The only thing I would like to see (but find it unlikely at this price point) for a family focused set of binoculars is engraved numbers of the focus wheel, diopter, pupil distance. Then in one of the caps have a place where family members can jot their numbers down so if passing them back and forth one could easily have it quickly dialed in for the next user.

I have zero complaints about these. If you're deciding between various magnifications, I would say just go with the 8x to start. I have these, and also a Vortex Diamondback 12x50, and I wouldn't say the Vortex's clarity isn't any visibly better. These Celestrons are what I was using when I found my first owl roost, resulting in photos like the one shown! Paid for themselves right there. :) 8x is also the best focal length to start with, because there's no distracting shake or depth of field issues like you get with longer focal lengths. With 8x, you feel like you're seeing with your normal eyes, just farther away. 10 and 12x, you start to get compression and shallow depth of field blur in front of and behind your focal point. So you are manipulating the knob a lot more. This 42 is a good diameter as well, I've found with 50 I can get more haze as more light gets in from different angles. I got mine from Amazon Warehouse, and there's nothing wrong with them. I imagine people return these because they don't know how to use it, and think the black "blobs" they see mean something is wrong. That just means you've shoved the eye pieces too far into your eye socket with no eye relief. The "eye relief" cups should be extended, you only leave them retracted if you wear glasses. I use them with the top of the eye cups just lightly touching my face, just below the eyebrows. It even works well if it doesn't touch your face. And adjust the sides of the binocular as close together as you need for the two circles to become mostly aligned. Update 12/9: Not trying to write War and Peace sequel, but I returned the Vortexes and kept these. Just couldn't like Vortex but I tried both Crossfires and Diamondbacks. They seemed washed out and difficult to get the diopter adjusted well. Now, Leupold BX-4 Pro Guides.. wow. That's clear glass. They edge out the Celestrons but I wouldn't say the difference is a $400 difference. My daily carry is the Leupold BX-4 Pro Guide 10x42 now. Still use the Celestrons when I need to scan lots of area, because the 8x depth of field gives the biggest area coverage. They're really all you need, I'm just a binocular fanatic.

Nice and solid, perfect size. Clear views! The design to fit people with glasses is great.

Clear bright images! Easy to focus, works great with eyeglass users like me. A little heavy but great for catching bird action!

Muy buenos y muy buena visión me encantaron

Je voulais des jumelles pour observer les oiseaux et j'ai essayé chez mon opticien des Bushnell 8x25 et 8x32, ça n'allait pas du tout : image floue et terne, obligation de s'approcher pour voir quelque chose, ce qui faisait fuir les oiseaux. Ces jumelles-ci n'ont absolument rien à voir, c'est le cas de le dire ! - Avec un diamètre de 42 mm, l'image est LUMINEUSE, on voit parfaitement les couleurs. - Le grossissement (pourtant identique aux autres) convient très bien à mon utilisation. - Il y a un "dioptre", une molette sur la moitié droite des jumelles qui permet de compenser la différence de vue entre les 2 yeux. C'est INDISPENSABLE, sinon on n'arrive pas à voir la totalité de l'image avec la même netteté partout. - Il y a une molette de "netteté" (focus) qui permet de faire la mise au point à une distance précise, exactement comme sur un appareil photo. Ça aussi, c'est INDISPENSABLE. - Comme on peut les régler correctement grâce à ces 2 molettes, on se rend vite compte que l'optique est d'excellente qualité. - Elles sont étanches et fournies avec des capuchons de protection en caoutchouc. Vu le climat du nord-est de la France, ça permet de s'en servir toute l'année. Voilà très concrètement pourquoi je les trouve parfaites pour moi. En outre, vu la modique différence de prix avec des modèles de bas de gamme (qui sont quand même aux environs de 100€), il n'y a absolument aucune raison de se priver de celles-ci. A toutes fins utiles : ce vendeur utilise la référence produit Celestron (71332), mais la désignation complète de ce modèle est bien "Celestron NATURE DX 8x42", donc le même que celui qu'on trouve plus cher chez d'autres vendeurs. ;)

Image is clear and magnification is perfect for beginner like me without spending too much. Downside would be that it does not have the best design when handling the binoculars for a longer period of time but it is still comfortable enough to not be a major issue. It is not unexpected at the price that I got it for that the included strap is quite bad as well.

A excellent pair of Chinese binoculars at a great price, under A$250. They do every thing well and are a compact size when compared to traditional binoculars. I live on the waterfront with a Marina, they are excellent for looking at the comings and going’s of life on the waters edge.

I use it for 3D archery. It's clean and sharp.